This invention relates to a method for manufacturing an alate medical needle, and more particularly, to a method of manufacturing such needles by a simple process which enables high-speed production.
Alate needles are conventionally used for the infusion or the extracorporeal circulation of blood, and for other purposes. An alate needle usually consists of a needle, wings attached to the base of the needle, and a tube. The following two types of methods are generally employed for manufacture of such needles. In one method, the wings are formed by injection molding of a thermoplastic resin, and the needle, molded wings, and tube are bonded together with an appropriate bonding agent. In the other method, the needle is inserted into a mold in an injection molding step so that the wings are molded while being simultaneously secured to the needle. Then, a tube is bonded thereto with a bonding agent. These methods, however, are disadvantageous for high-speed continuous manufacture because they both include an injection molding step. Injection molding usually requires a cycle time of at least 20 seconds, and when an injection molding step is included as an essential part of the manufacturing process, full automation of the whole process is difficult because it is difficult to automate the combination of such injection molding step with other steps. The bonding step required in these methods makes the process more complicated and time-consuming. Thus, conventional methods are incapable of high-speed continuous production and limit any reduction of the manufacturing cost. Heavy equipment investment is required for the injection molding, and this adds to the economic disadvantage of conventional methods.